Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-23
FR7DAY. SEPTEMBER es, 1887.
sunday Laws.

Sunday Laws.
New York has Sunday law. 1t is
pretty stringent in its provisions. This
stringency binds with greatest force
on the saloons, and other places where
malt, vinous or spirituous liquors are
sold. The question, OF course, comes
forward with much prominence in the
pending political campaign. The
Buffalo Times proposes the following
bill to be presented at the next meet
ing of the Legislature:
An act to permit the sale of malt
beverages and light wines during GER
tain hours on Sundays in the cities OF
New York, Brooklyn, Albany, Buffalo,
Rochester, Syracuse and Utica.
Section /. Any person duly licensed
to sell or dispose Of beer, ale or wines,
or any of them, in the cities OF New
York, Brooklyn, Albany, Buffalo, Ro-
chester. Troy, Syracuse and Utica,
may, as licensed, sell or dispose Of
beer, ale or light wines on Sundays
during the hours between o'clock in
the afternoon and II o'clock midnight,
provided, that the windows and doors
of the store or apartment in the
building wherein beer, ale or light
wines are 30 sold shall during the said
hours be closed or screened, except
when persons are actually passing
through the door or doors thereof, and
that no sound audible to the persons
in the vicinity of such building shall
issue therefrom.
To us out here the measure of relief
aimed at in this bill is interesting.
Be it remembered this is all the anti
Sunday law people hope to gain
in the way of mitigating ex-
listing evils. Under this bill
of relief saloons could not open their
doors before two O'Clock in the after
noon. After that hour the drinker
of a glass of beer must do it behind
closed doors and screened windows.
Moreover, if some hilarious person
should commit joke" the listeners
must straight way swallow the mug
50 as to choke down the rising laugh
which might be "audible to the per-
sons in the vicinity"
Now these Sunday laws are all
wrong, hard as it is to convince many
psople of this fact. In nothing did
the trainers of the American constitu-
fion show SO much wisdom as in the
divorce they passed between Church
and State. That alliance was always
. most unholy one, and it has cost
Europe an ocean of blood. This be-
ing a governmental in which no form OF
religion is recognized, or by
law established, the tenets OF
all forms of religion must
be self-supporting, and must not
look to the State for any other protec-
ton or relief than their ''equal Christ
ian" gets under the law. All men
should be left absolutely untrammeled
ntheir worship or neglect of worship as
their convictions may lead them to
live.
In the century under the constitution
whose centennial is being observed in
Philadelphia, great changes have been
wrought in this respect. The old blue
laws have all been taken from our
statute books, and men breathe more
freely than of yore. The West has
cut great figure in this march OF pro-
gress towards larger freedom. The
big prairies, the giant mountains, the
unfettered sweep of the big rivers and
the big expanses ofthe lakes, with their
breezy climate, and tangled woods all
helped to clear the cebwebs OF past
ages from mems minds, and make
them more tolerant and liberal as to the
notions and personal acts OF each other.
The old pioneer days in California
helped on the good work of teaching
each of us to mind his own business,
and not be too Jealous of reforming
his neighbor except by pure moral
'suasion. This may in the future be
greatly to the benefit of the too hide
bound relgionist who is not satisfied
with his own righteousness unless he
can enforce his views on his neighbor
Should the heather Chinese ever be-
come SO numerous hereabouts, as to
get the whip-hand Of us all combined
il would be unpleasant to have them
pass a law prohibiting the use ofchurct
organs, the singing Of the choirs, or the
preaching of the ministers, unless
these were all so conducted "that nc
sound audible to the persons in the
vicinity of such building shall issue
tberefrom." Doubtless by such time
liberal ideas will have gone SO far that
even the most orthodox shall be glad
to Join the camp of those who advo-
cato personal rights, and plead for al
lowing people to do as they please SO
long as they are nota nuisance to their